A previous entry, discussed building the intial Digital Compass test circuit on a breadboard. Now it was time to design a PCB layout and etch it out. It's only taken 3 weeks to do. A lot of family time over xmas, but I still managed to fit in some time here and there. I had previously came acress a web site talking about using a laser printed image and an hot cloths iron to transfer the PCB layout onto the copper.

I woke up this morning with an epiphany on how to join the superstructure onto the hull.  I had always intended to use PVC piping for the hull, but thought that I would perhaps make up a fibre glass superstructure... or something.

After a quick scout around on Google, and reading a few man pages, I had a go at compiling the Netgear's WG311 Window files so that I could use it in FreeBSD 6.0.

I extracted the WG311v3.INF and WG311v3.sys files, moved them over to the FreeBSD card, then ran: 

     ndisgen WG311v3.INF WG311v3.sys 

After working through a simple wizard, and selecting the defaults, I ended up with a file called:   WG311v3_sys.ko

To get the wireless network card going, I just ran:

    kldload ndis

    kldload WG311v3_sys.ko

It's been a power weekend.  I cut out the walls and assembled them together.  It would have helped if the base had been a perfect rectangle.  Oh well, just plane off a few more mills! 

During the week, I played around with ExpressSCH, a electronics design package.  As a test, I laid out my initial PICAXE test circuitry.  It comes up better in the original size.

Wow, I am a convert of using PICAXE chips They are so easy to use!

The PICAXE-28X CPU chip arrived yesterday from Altronics.  When I get some time over the weekend, I will have a go at programming it :-)

It only runs at 4MHz at the moment.  Later I will see if I can overclock it to 16MHz.  I am interested in seeing how fast I can do Anologue-to-Digital (AD) converstions, as I have some other projects in mind as well, that could use it if I can get running at around 120 conversions per second.

I woke one morning with a thought about having a solar powered autonomous boat putting about on the Ocean.  Hey, program in the way points, and have it go around the world.  With a Satellite data phone on there, it could 'phone home' once a day, with record of where it has been, air-sea temperatures, photos, water depth, microsope photos of filtered sea water (I have an Intel QX3 USB microscope ).

Arrived back from Perth late Friday afternoon, after a fun filled 3 days with Ross, doing all the holiday things.

Like visiting electronic and hobby stores as well as Battery wholesalers.  I picked up a 12V 28Ahr SLA Battery to run the Servo and Motor, and a 7AHr SLA Battery to run the electronics.  I also picked up some other batteries (7AHr and 4Hr), to repair some old UPS's.

We also found a "$6.00 All you can eat" Indian restaurant.  We ate way too much!

I have purchased a 2D Honeywell 3100 Digital Compass.  This uses a TTL RS-232 voltage level, so since I need to connect it to a PC, I will need to make up a converter curcuit using a MAX232CPE chip.  I have one here, but I think it's stuffed (from a previous experiment some years ago).

I will pick up two more in Perth next time I am up there.  I will also purchase the batteries, Hall Effect Sensor and battery charger. So much to do, and so little time :-)